2015 has been a big year for social work with plenty of legislation change, the prime minister focusing his attention on children’s social work and of course the College of Social Work closing. So here it is: the year as defined by the top 20 most read stories on our site.
- Social workers to face five years in prison for failing to protect children from sexual abuse, warns Cameron
- Social worker launches petition to stop Cameron’s proposal to jail social workers
- Government uses Queen’s speech to advance jail plans for social workers
- I resigned as a lecturer after the university did not fail social work students
- ‘Worst portrayal of the social work profession I have seen EVER!’
- ‘David Cameron is undermining the safety and welfare of children’
- Judge names social workers and recommends disciplinary investigation
- ‘David Cameron is telling us that by and large social worker’s can’t be trusted’
- Children’s social workers set controversial pass or fail test to practise
- ‘I already live with the risk of being vilified’: a social worker’s letter to David Cameron
- Newly qualified social worker referred to HCPC after struggling with time management given further suspension
- Social work staff fired for accessing confidential files of toddler who was beaten to death
- Deprivation of liberty: 27 case examples to help social workers comply with landmark ruling
- The College of Social Work to close due to lack of funds
- Social worker struck off after mental capacity assessment ‘cover-up’
- The sudden death of BAAF: how it happened and what it may mean for social work
- Social worker killed herself after fearing she would be discharged from a mental health bed
- Social worker struck off for wilful neglect of a child in her care
- Social worker who sent offensive tweets to David Cameron found fit to practise
- Social worker criticised by judge for using jargon in court report
And an honorable mention must go to our April Fool’s story which made it into the 20 most read stories of the year but for reasons of serious and responsible journalism has not been included in the list.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 
Hampshire County Council 
Lincolnshire County Council 
Norfolk County Council 
Northamptonshire Children’s Trust 
South Gloucestershire Council 
Wiltshire Council 
Wokingham Borough Council 
Children and young people with SEND are ‘valued and prioritised’ in Wiltshire, find inspectors 
How specialist refugee teams benefit young people and social workers 
Podcast: returning to social work after becoming a first-time parent 
Podcast: would you work for an inadequate-rated service? 
Family help: one local authority’s experience of the model 
‘We are all one big family’: how one council has built a culture of support 
Workforce Insights – showcasing a selection of the sector’s top recruiters 
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Dear Community Care
I noted with interest that the above 1-20 articles make for grim reading, I asked myself is this truly a relection of the nature of social work in 2015. If I adopted this position then I believe I would bail out the back door and say goodbye to a career and profession where I and thousends of others make a significant difference to lives of children & families. Social work is not an exact science and therefore, inevitablty things go wrong but compared to the good and excellent that is acheived, it is far outweighed but we rarely hear about the good, maybe because it dosen’t quite make a headline.
Whilst I could pontificate a great deal on the pressures placed on social workers, the constant threat of the government wishing to jail sw’s, the HCPC asserting their judgement and authority in an inconsistant manner and our dear friend OFSTED, arriving at what can only be described as “Their next victim’s door” although I applaud OFSTED for keeping it’s public profile for consistant poor ratings of Local Authorities. I’m not so clear what funds are being given by central government to said Local Authorities to improve and develop failing services.
All that before a social worker has even stepped out the door to meet with families.
This is a new age of social work and after some reflection the point I wish to make is that the reality is we are all vulnerable to and at risk of exposure and public anhialation. My saddness at this time is that it seems the real value and soul of social work has been lost in the choas and crisis of poor leadership. After many years in frontline child protection social work I remain committed and passionate, however, around me I see people swampted with negativity and feelings of hopelessness. It’s like the plague – contaminating.
We cannot change the current mechanics spinning around us but dis-engaging from it saves emotional time and energy, leaving more room to positively focus on what we do best….. Social Work, we are expert Court witnesses and this is now more accepted within the Court arena who want a social work assessment rather that a expert assessment.
We should have confidence in ourserlves and our capabilities because we make a difference and a contribution.
On a final note I wish to thank Community Care for “Standing Up For Social Work” and being the only real voice of Social Work representing the issues that are prevalent and relevant. BASW and the Chief Social Worker are rarely visable or heard as representative bodies, indeed they appear dorment in contrast.
Happy new year